Really, Vancouver?

Wow. just wow.

Game 7 Preview: Boston vs Washington; Winner Take All

The Bruins celebrate Tyler Seguin's overtime goal in Game 6. The win forced a Game 7 that is to be played tonight at 7:30 here in Boston

So I know a lot of you guys saw that the game is on at 1:00 today. I don't know who came up with that, but they are by far the dumbest person I've ever heard of. Don't worry Bruins fans, the game is tonight at 7:30. I'd go into detail explaining why they'd never do an afternoon game during the week, but that'd just bore the living hell out of you, so I'll spare you all so you don't stop reading.

Anyways, the Bruins forced Game 7 Sunday afternoon, after somewhat breaking out of the matinee slump. That overtime goal by Seguin was downright filthy. And when all the bandwagon fans are talking about how great the goal was, you know it was filthy.

A lot of you are nervous, and rightfully so, I am a little bit too. It's Game 7, do or die. But the Bruins have experience in Game 7 situations. I know, I know, they're 3-3 in the past years, but they've got Kelly and Seguin who have both come up big in overtime, Andrew Ference who's probably one of the smartest defensemen in the league, and an offense that seems ready to just explode. Last year the Bruins were 3-0 in Game 7 situations, defeating Montreal in overtime of Game 7 of the ECQF last year, Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the ECF last year, and who could forget the 4-0 defeat of Vancouver in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Another reason I have complete confidence in the Bruins tonight is that Tim Thomas has yet to have an absolutely stellar game, and last year he had at least one of those per series. The man is due, and I fully expect him to stop giving up softies and to close his legs off the faceoff and be the goalie that won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season.

Also, Braden Holtby has just been average for the most part this series. In Games 2 and 4 he stood on his frigging head, but Game 1 the Bruins didn't exactly play well offensively, Game 3 he looked like an AHL goalie, and last game he looked like an AHL goalie as well. Yes, he played a good game in Game 5, but it definitely wasn't his best. The Bruins seem like they may have solved him, which means they've finally realized that if you go to the net you're going to get a rebound, 'cause Holtby has been giving up some really juicy rebounds all series long, and the Bruins seemed like they finally figured it out after the Andrew Ference goal.

Finally, the power play, while it's been pretty shitty, has started to come around just a little bit. They've actually scored power play goals this series, unlike last season, where it took a 5 on 3 power play for Zdeno Chara to finally break through and score in the second round against Philadelphia. Seeing as they've actually broken through a few times this series, I feel like their overdue and they man advantage units are going to have a break out game.

Remember to take your heart medication, check your blood pressure, take Bayer, do something to prevent heart attacks and make sure you don't have a conniption. This is bound to be a tight, stressful game, so be ready to throw things at your TV out of frustration.

Remember to use my hash tags on Twitter. #IAMABRUIN #Believe #BelieveInBoston

Patrice Bergeron Nominated for Selke

The NHL announced earlier today that Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has been named one of three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. The award is given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The other two finalists for the award are Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and St. Louis' David Backes.

Bergeron led all Bruins forwards in time on ice this season, averaging 18:34 per game and also led the team in shorthanded time on ice, averaging 1:48 per game. Bergeron also led the Bruins in faceoff win perecentage and was second in the league in that category with 59.3%, trailing only Chicago's Jonathan Toews, who led the league with a 59.4% faceoff win percentage.

Bergeron finished the season with 22 goals and 42 assists, finishing the year second on the team in goals and second in points with 64. He was fifth on the team in goals and played in a career high 81 games.

I can honestly say this was no surprise, and shouldn't be to any hockey fan (unless you're from Vancouver or Montreal). Bergeron has consistently been one of the best two way forwards in the game for years now. Last year's nomination snub was one that many people felt was unfair, as it was certain that he should have at least been nominated.

Even linemate Brad Marchand said in his line's introduction video on NBC (still a stupid idea) that Bergeron should be the 2012 Selke Award Winner. While it's great to see that the Professional Hockey Writers' Association believes Bergeron is a worthy candidate, it's even better to see his teammates support him and believe that he should be this year's winner.

Now if only the Caps would stop whining about Bergeron being cheap (come on, really?) he would get some really good recognition from opponents and respect, knowing that whenever they play the Bruins they are not only going up against one of the best teams in the league, but that they will also have to face one of the best defensive forwards in the game.

Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. #IAMABRUIN #IBELIEVEINBOSTON #BELIEVE

Bring On Game 7



Bruins forward Tyler Seguin celebrates with teammates David Krejci and Brad Marchand after scoring the game winning goal in overtime this afternoon in Washington, forcing a Game 7 for the series.

"The Garden's gonna be rockin'."

Those were the words of 19 year old Tyler Seguin when asked about what's going through his mind about Game 7 on Wednesday night. The sophomore forward, who was the Bruins' leading scorer in the regular season with 28 goals, had been snake bitten all series. There were many opportunities for Seguin, but not once this series was he able to convert. But damn it, he picked a really great time to put one home. Just 3:17 into overtime, Washington center did what no player should ever do in overtime: he got too cute with the puck. After a long pass from Backstrom was picked off by David Krejci, the puck was immediately put into the hands of Milan Lucic, who found Seguin streaking down the middle. Seguin scored what was perhaps the prettiest goal of the series, faking out Washington netminder Braden Holtby and putting the puck home, winning the game 4-3 for the Bruins in overtime, staving off elimination and forcing a Game 7 back in Boston.

"This series I've had a lot of chances and opportunities and I haven't been finishing them off," Seguin said. "It's just really nice to get that feeling of finding the back of the net."

The game was a see saw most of the time. Just when you thought one team had the momentum, the other would steal it right back. It was a true nail biter all the way until the end.

The Bruins struck first, just 5:57 into the first when Rich Peverley tipped in an Andrew Ference shot from the blue line, giving the Bruins a lead that didn't last very long, as the Capitals came back strong when Mike Green faked a shot, showing great patience as he waited for Bruins forward Greg Campbell to slide past him on the attempted block shot, and ripped one from just above the circle, deflecting the puck off of Greg Zanon's leg and past Tim Thomas. After a David Krejci power play goal put the B's on top 2-1, Jason Chimera capitalized on a interference non call that was likely embellished by Brad Marchand and scored late in the second period off a feed from Nicklas Backstrom. The two teams traded goals, with Andrew Ference and Alex Ovechkin each scoring for their respctive teams, making it a 3-3 contest heading into overtime.

The post game comments from Washington players showed a level of respect for the Bruins. Matt Hendricks said after the game, "[They were] Stanley Cup champs last year - they're not gonna die die easy."

Comments from Washington defenseman Karl Alzner echoed what Hendricks had already said. "It's the Boston Bruins. They're not going to go down easy."

Game 7 is set for Wednesday night at what should be an absolute rockin' house at the TD Garden. Hopefully this time Tyler Seguin won't have to shoot for Braden Holtby's head as he told NBC's Pierre McGuire he was doing after the game. Now that both Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin have scored, we should expect to see a different level of comfort from the two, and hopefully a major surge to help lift the Bruins past the Caps and into the second round.

Mark your calendars everyone, and make sure you take your heart medication as well. We don't want to see anyone dying from heart attacks brought on by the stress of a Bruins playoff game.

Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. #IAMABRUIN #IBELIEVEINBOSTON #BELIEVE

Bruins Power Play in Desperate Need Of Fixing



Bruins Assistant Coach Geoff Ward, the man behind the power play, being interviewed while coaching with the Providence Bruins, Boston's AHL affiliate franchise.

Throughout last year's playoffs, the one thing that frustrated fans the most despite the Stanley Cup victory was the lack of production from the power play. The team could go what seemed to be weeks without scoring a goal with the man advantage.

This season has been no different. Much like last year, the power play was solid, providing timely goals and much needed momentum throughout the early stages of the regular season. But, it soon began to falter just as it did last season, and it hasn't been able to give the Bruins any goals or momentum thus far in the post season.

The lack of success with the man advantage could and should be attricuted to assistant coach Geoff Ward, who had many fans calling for his head until the Stanley Cup win. Ward was placed in charge of the power play by the organization, and it's a surprise that neither head coach Claude Julien nor GM Peter Chiarelli have stripped Ward of these responsibilities and given them to the likes of assistant coach(es) Doug Houda or Doug Jarvis. It's difficult to imagine that the Bruins can manage a second straight Stanley Cup win with arguably the worst power play in the league in both seasons.

It appears that the only solution for the power play next season would be to remove Geoff Ward from his position as assistant coach. Ward has been in charge of the power play for at least the past two years, if not more as former assistant coach Craig Ramsay, who left the team after the 2009-2010 to take on the role of head coach of the then Atlanta Thrashers, was in charge of the penalty kill during his time in Boston. Ward is best described as a one trick pony. He comes up with one power play method, never comes up with a new one and never strays from it, and at first it looks dominant. But teams around the league soon figure out Ward's scheme and design certain penalty kill systems to more or less negate the "advantage" the Bruins are supposed to have and kill whatever momentum the team has. Even when this occurs, as it so often does, Ward doesn't change the power play strategy. Occassionally he will change the players on the two units, but the grand scheme of it never varies.

With the frustration mounting in regard to the man advantage this post season, one would think it's a given that Geoff Ward will be fired at the conclusion of the season, but nothing is set in stone. If the Bruins do in fact win the Cup again, it wouldn't be a shock if the Bruins kept him on. However, with the power play as atrocious as it is, it appears that Ward's time in Boston may be coming to a close.

Game Four Preview: Boston vs Washington; Bruins Lead 2-1

Monday night was a special occasion for this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series. It didn't go to overtime! I know, I was just as shocked as all of you. Washington struck first but, shockingly enough, they choked and puked all over themselves a couple times and lost 4-3.

The series is finally starting to get a little bit of hate in it now. Especially with all the nastiness that's been escalating every game after the whistles. Guys are going after each other, and now it's gotten to the point where we can expect a nasty Game 4.

One advantage we can hope to see the Bruins capitalize on is the absence of stud center Nicklas Backstrom, who was suspended by the NHL for Game 4 after cross checking Rich Peverley in the face. As much as I didn't think Backstrom should be suspended, Brendan Shanahan thought otherwise, which is shocking in itself due to the fact that he's shown on many occassions that he has some sort of grudge against the Bruins, and now the Caps are left to rely on Alex Ovechkin and the always inconsistent Alex Semin, who has the misfortune of being named after sperm (must be why he's so shaky,guys probably shit on him every game). While Ovechkin is extremely lethal offensively, Dennis Seidenberg, who has made a strong case for the Conn Smythe Trophy thus far, has done a tremendous job shutting him down. Everywhere Ovechkin goes, Seidenberg has been right there with him, and the two have gotten into it physically quite a bit throughout the series, as shown by Ovechkin's cross check to Seidenberg's face which seemed to be an act of pure frustration from the Washington captain.

Something the Bruins should take note of is the fact that this Capitals team does not appear to be the strongest mentally. If the Bruins are able to either strike first and maintain the lead or mount another comeback win, the Caps likely will roll over and come as close to packing it in as a hockey team can get. If the Bruins can return to Boston leading the series 3-1, not only will Washington feel the pressure, but they will surely get a major case of the playoff jitters when they come out into the tunnel and hear the TD Garden crowd rocking the building, or, as NESN play by play announcer Jack Edwards so famously put it in the 2008 playoffs against Montreal, screaming so loud that the building will be vibrating. Intimidate this team and the Bruins will certainly grab a chokehold on this series as they head back to Boston.

The Bruins clearly have the upper hand in terms of intimidation, and they need to use that to their advantage. If Boston can continue to be physical and force the Caps into taking stupid penalties like the Backstrom cross check, they will give themselves a very good chance at winning.

With Backstrom's absence though, one thought that creeps into the mind of some Bruins fans is the team's tendency throughout the regular season to play down to the competition, meaning they would play far below their skill level and allow teams that are much worse than them to gain confidence and sometimes win games they had no business winning. The playoffs are a different story, with the pressure to perform and play up to and sometimes beyond expectations so high, it is doubtful that the Bruins would sink to this. But, it is always a possibility. The other issue that could result from the Backstrom suspension is Washington's play. Caps coach Dale Hunter did a very good job in Games 1 and 2 getting the team to play extremely well defensively and turn on the offense when it was needed. The problem with that play though is that it is similar to what the Bruins were doing early last year, when fans were calling for Claude Julien's head, that team President Cam Neely described it as "trying to win games one to nothing", a style of play which can only get a team so far and likely results in an exit within the first two rounds of the postseason, assuming the system has gotten the team that far to begin with. If Hunter does decide to play this way, the Bruins need to be ready to come out and fire on all cylinders as the Caps offense will not fight back until the third period. If the Bruins can strike quickly tonight, regardless of how the Capitals play, they will cause doubt to creep into their minds and quickly take control of the game.

Stay glued to your TV tonight fans, this game will be a good one.

Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. #TheQuestContinues #DefendLordStanley #CapsSuck

Washington Fans Plan to Troll Thomas With Obama Heads

Yes, I posted Obama smiling as the title picutre. Sue me.

Apparently Washington fans are preparing to troll Timmy with Obama heads, this according to the Washington Post which cites numerous sources (aka a bunch of asshole Caps fans who run blogs that are even worse than mine) urging fans to pring out copies of their "Obama Masks" and wear them behind Thomas during warmups.

Are these guys serious?

This has got to be the absolute dumbest trolling idea ever. Hell, I do a better job trolling after Vancouver games than these guys are going to do. They deserve an award for shittiest troll in the history of hockey. Like honestly, what is the matter with these clowns?

This is playoff hockey, not the D.C. zoo where you can sit there and laugh at yourself cause you're teasing the lion behind the glass. In all fairness though, they don't know what it's like to move past the second round, so they don't really know any better.

I actually hope you Washington "fans" read this, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on my post. That way I can laugh at all your horrible chirps and continue to harass Washington fans via Twitter.

When asked about this "trolling" dilemma, homas said "I don't really care, it doesn't bother me. I don't even know the President's name to be honest, I just think he does a shotty job running the country." Obviously Thomas never said that, and I don't think anyone has eve asked him about it, but regardless that would've been a pretty funny quote.

I actually think the only idea worse than this is getting President Obama to go to the game and sit right behind Thomas. I don't think that Timmy would be too affected by that. He's 37 years old, an experienced NHL and professional goalie (don't forget about his time toiling in the Finnish professional leagues), a two time Vezina Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and a Stanley Cup Champion. I think he's got a pretty damn good focus on his game.

Do these idiots expect Timmy to constantly be looking over his shoulder out or nervousness and fear during the game? I mean come on, it's not like he's going to turn around and start chirping the fans during the game, nevermind at all. The dude gets a serious case of tunnel vision during playoff games, he's not going to be phased at all by this horrible idea.

To put my own spin on some stupid Capitals blog quote, "I urge you - nay! - charge you in your duty as a Bruins fan to that those ol' Caps fans see this masterpiece I have written so we can all surround them as the series moves forth and chirp them as hard as you possibly can!" (Seriously, some idiot thought it would be a good idea to write that in Shakesperean English. The blog is called "Sick, Unbelievable". I'm not sure how that ties in to the Capitals though...)

Seriously though, show this wonderful post to every Caps fan you can find. I want them to see this. I want them to realize how unbelievably idiotic they are about to act. On second thought, nah, I want them to see it so I get chriped on Twitter, that way I can retweet everything they say and make a complete mockery of them.

Remember to use my hashtags on Tiwtter. #TheQuestContinues #DefendLordStanley #CapsSuck

UPDATE: Bruins Drop Game 2, Capitals Officially Make Boston's Shit List

Well, that game sucked.

The Bruins decided to come out and not even try to solve the likely simple riddle that is little rookie goaltender Braden Holtby. Seriously, the third and fourth line played with energy and passion, but the Bergeron line played brutal, with the exception of Bergeron who had some rarely seen nastiness in his game today, and the first line I don't think even played. Oh, they did? Damn, got me. I never knew they were on the ice.

Seriously, are those guys hurt? If Krejci is affected by that pane if glass I may have to put a bounty of Shanahan for not suspending him. I wonder if Peverley's knee is affecting him. And Lucic, where the hell have you been bud? They do realize this is the playoffs, right? Can someone tell me if they do? You know, like someone who has more access to the players than I do (which is virtually none).

Bergeron seemed pretty pissed off today though. Seriously, I thought he was gonna drop the gloves and kick the ever living hell out Perrault. Marchand? He was a dick after the horn every period, but other than that he played like shit. Meanwhile Tyler Seguin looks nothing like a second overall pick so far. Hell, he doesn't even look like a guy that had 28 goals in the regular season.

The third line was on fire though. Christ, Pouliot looked 50 times better than anyone on the first line did. And when a third line guy who looked like a bust of a fourth overall pick for the longest time plays better than you you know there's something wrong.




Although I have to say, that goal was flat out filthy. I know a lot of you morons out there will say to me "But he didn't do anything special, he just skated to the net." That's exactly what I'm talking about. in the playoffs, a filthy goal isn't going to be Ovechkin falling on his back and doing some crazy ass behind the head shot into an open net (although that was a sick goal). The filthy goals in the playoffs are going to be ones that are scored because of second, third, and fourth efforts. And sometimes end with an acrobatic backflip over Braden Holtby. That does always add a nice touch to it.

Chris Kelly too, he needs to be locked up the second the re-sign period begins. The guy has been stellar the whole season and he hasn't let up in the playoffs. I think someone played him a clip of what Felger said about him after he was acquired last year. He looks like he's out to prove someone, if not everyone, wrong. Brian Rolston too. This third line needs to be kept intact next season. Rolston has played out of his mind. They Bruins are a team that needs a veteran presence like Rolston around. He can be the new Mark Recchi, just without the medical degree.

Also, I'm beginning to hate the Capitals more and more, especially under Dale Hunter. The good news is they aren't playing the way Dale Hunter played, which would really get me pissed. Like throwing large objects at my TV pissed. And if you want to know how Dale Hunter played, look no further than this. Or at the following.










Yeah, Hunter was a douche.

While the Caps aren't playing like that, they're still playing similar to Vancouver. Minus the diving thankfully. But they're doing a lot of that behind the play, after the whistle small cheap shots that really piss both players and fans off. It's pretty much why everyone hates Vancouver. And Montreal at that. The good news is that they're poking the bear. The bad news is the bear hasn't woken up yet. And if the bear doesn't wake up soon, the B's are in some deep doo doo.

Anyways, I'll just leave you with this for fond memories.



Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. Or else. #TheQuestContinues #DefendLordStanley #CapsSuck

BREAKING: Pane of Glass Hits Krejci In Head; Disciplinary Hearing Scheduled

After the Bruins 1-0 win over Washington in overtime of Game 1, some pane of glass got a little pissed off and decided to nail Krejci right in the head.

Seriously, watch the video. That's scary.

This is exactly the type of hit that Brendan Shanahan has been trying to get rid of (kinda). Clearly he's done a pretty horrible job at it. I mean really. This thing of glass is twice Krejci's size. That isn't the type of thing you want to see barreling at your head.

Clearly I'm not serious in all of that. Well, I shouldn't say that. The only serious statements were "Krejci was hit in the head by a pane of glass" and "Shanahan has done a pretty horrible job". This is obviously a post where I sit here and laugh to myself about how funny I am cause I'm ripping Shanahan.

But really, let's get real here. Shanahan has been HORRIBLE as League Disciplinarian this year. His rulings are beyond inconsistent and the explanations are sketchy at best. I know a lot of you people out there will say "Well he's cracked down on it but some players still do it." See, that's exactly the point. Players still do it, which means that obviously the consequences of delivering a blow to the head are not nearly steep enough, therefore players aren't afraid to stick their elbow into a guy's temple.

And let's not forget the league's hand in all of this. Let's compare two famous incidents from the past couple of weeks. New York Rangers coach John Tortorella had some things (very smart ones at that) to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins, their style of play, and the culture of the franchise. The things he said, including the completely awesome criticism of what's implied as Crosby and Malkin when ripping Brooks Orpik for his knee on knee hit to Drerek Stepan "It's a cheap, dirty hit. I wonder what would happen if we did it to their two whining stars over there." Truer words have never been spoken. But don't you dare criticize the NHL's darling franchise down in Pittsburgh, or else Mario Lemieux will throw a hissy fit. Tortorella was fined $20,000 for swearing. To quote the all famous movie character Dr. Evil, boo frickity hoo. So what, he swore. It's nothing the reporters haven't heard before, and it's nothing Bettman hasn't heard before (cough 24/7 cough). But, obviously it was more about protecting Pittsburgh and the league's poster boy Sidney Crosby. (Full article on the Tortorella incident can be found here)

Then, a few days ago, late in the Detroit/Nashville game, Predators defenseman Shea Weber grabs Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg's head and smashes it into the glass. This is a very clear headshot with, as Shanahan likes to say, clear malicious intent. You'd think he gets a suspension and a heft fine, right? Nope. Weber was fined $2,500 for the incident. Apply that same ratio to someone who earns $40,000 per year. That's the equivalent of a $16 fine. That's less than a damn parking ticket. That's just plain ridiculous. That's pocket change for a guy like Weber. But God forbid Shanahan suspends a star not named Alexander Ovechkin or who doesn't play for the Bruins, that's a big no no in the Player Safety Department.

The league is terribly biased when it comes to discipline, and everyone knows it. That's the sad part about it all, everyone knows and they won't admit it.

So, what I'm getting at here is, while I think that pane of glass should get at least a three game suspension, it'll probably get a poke on the wrist and a "Don't do that again" from Shanahan.

The Quest Continues

It's that time again everyone. The Bruins are back in the playoffs, sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins are set to take on the Washington Capitals in the first round this year, mainly because Ottawa looked at how the Bruins have been playing and pissed their collective pants, thus losing easily in their final game of importance. The Capitals are a scary team on paper, something most Bruins fans very conveniently forget. With a Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom up front, the Capitals offense is elite at full force. But, that all really depends on whether Semin and Ovechkin feel like showing up. Other guys such as Brooks Laich are overlooked by Boston fans. Laich plays a very Bergeron like game, with the exception that he scores a lot more than Bergeron does. With offensive weapons like these, the Caps can beat any team they want.

But, Washington is well known around the hockey world as Choke City. Usually finishing as the top seed in the East, the Capitals make it to the first or second round and then choke and lose to a team they have absolutely no business losing to (see: 2009-2010 when the Habs gave them a swift ass kicking). This is something that can not be overlooked either, and will always be taken into consideration when the Caps make the playoffs.

One issue surrounding this series is the whole Tim Thomas vs Obama situation. As you all should remember, when the Bruins made the trip to visit the President and be honored for their Stanley Cup victory, Timmy decided to play hookey and stay back at the hotel and not attend the ceremony. An explanation was later given (on Facebook of course), which stated that Thomas disagreed with the way Obama is running the country and that ultimately led to his decision to skip the ceremony. Boston's own Thomas Jefferson (get it? Tim Thomas Jefferson) has since gone on a few more of his now famous Facebook rants, but for the most part it had died down for the rest of the season. That is, of course, until our very own Joe Haggerty of CSN New England asked the question that everyone knew was coming but also didn't want to ask. That of course being the situation with playing and D.C. and how it relates (somehow, someway, that I don't understand) to Timmy's little White House hookey in January. Thomas didn't sound very thrilled that Haggs asked the question, but he didn't really seem pissed off. More like he was expecting it but dreading it at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.

The Caps are the team with the real issues though. As I said already, Ovechkin and Semin are only dangerous when they decide to show up and play, which is a very rare occurence for Semin. They've also got back Nicklas Backstrom, but he is coming off an injury and who knows how he'll hold up in a 7 game series. Not to mention the fact that both Tomas Vokoun and Michael Neuvirth are currently injured. Vokoun's injury came in Washington's last trip to Boston that resulted in a much needed shootout win for them, and Neuvirth's injury came against the Florida Panthers, when Marco Sturm somehow managed to fall all over himself and land right on the netminder's leg as he was extended in the butterfly position (thanks Sturmy, once a Bruin, always a Bruin. Unless you're Joe Thornton or Brad Stuart, of course). The Capitals now have to rely on rookie goaltender Braden Holtby, who has just 21 games of NHL experience. Not to mention that this team seems to have a phobia for defense. They either don't play it at all or they play it very poorly, leaving it up to the other team to hope their offense is competent enough to throw the puck at the net and go for rebounds.

If the Bruins play the way that they have been lately, this should be a series that lasts no longer than 6 games at the very most. But, we all know that the Bruins can be inconsistent at times and, as I pointed out, the Capitals are a much better team than most give them credit for, so this could last as long as 7 games, with Game 7 going either way.

The title defense has begun, Bruins Nation. The Bruins are on the right track to make yet another deep playoff run, so prepare yourselves for an exciting and also very frustrating month of May, and possibly even June.

Time For The Bruins To Make A Statement

For Bruins fans, Tuesday night may have been the night that turns any patience that may have been left and turned into utter frustration and dissapointment. A 6-1 blowout at the hands of the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning. On a night where the only highlight for the Bruins was Steven Stamkos scoring his 50th goal of the season against them, the team came out flat and never receovered. Within 4 minutes they were in a 3-0 hole, with head coach Claude Julien forced to pull veteran backup Marty Turco and replace him with the extremely fatigued and disiniterested Tim Thomas on a night where Thomas was supposed to get rest. Things didn't get much better, and Turco was returned to the net after the first period as all hope was lost when it came to winning the game or even scratching a point out of it. It was a night where not one single player could be called out and held responsible. It was a team effort, or lack theoreof. The entire team sucked. The offense was nowhere to be found, the defense left Turco and Thomas out to dry, and the only players that seemed to really care about winning were Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Caron, and Shawn Thornton. towards the end of the first, Thornton dropped the gloves with Tampa Bay defenseman Mike Commodore, who made the mistake of obliging as he got the ever living crap kicked out of him, in order to attempt to spark something in his team. The Bruins failed to respond though, and came out just as flat, if not even more flat, in the second and third periods.

CSNNE Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty spoke to Captain Zdeno Chara yesterday at Bruins practice, where the team was preparing for tonight's game against the Florida Panthers. Chara said that the team "Needs to get angrier after they're scored on, needs to start playing more physical, and needs to get mentally tougher". Couldn't have said it any better myself Z. During yesterday's morning skate, Chara drove forward Milan Lucic hard into the boards, causing both guys to go down, and right there Chara was sending a message. A message that he is fed up with the way the team is playing and that if they're not going to hold themselves accountable, he will hold them accountable. Chara isn't normally a vocal leader, but the man was named Captain for a reason, and that reason is becoming very clear now. He leads by example, and when things go wrong, he has no problem calling guys out and speaking up in the locker room.

As of right now, the Bruins lead the Northeast Division by one point over the Ottawa Senators with just two games in hand. This team is in danger of slipping to 7th in the conference, and possibly even slippign out of the playoffs if their poor play continues. If the Bruins can get back to their grind it out, physical, in your face style of play, they can overcome their injuries for the time being and hold their lead in the division. They need to make a statement to the rest of the conference, a statement that they aren't just going to roll over and take a beating, but instead teams are going to have to give it their absolute best effort to play with them, and a statement that they are the same team that is not afraid to drop the gloves. In the past three years, there have been two games full of fights and penalties in which the Bruins showed that they not only have each others' backs, but that they aren't going to take any crap from anyone. In 2009, the Dallas Stars came to town with Sean Avery and Steve Ott. Everyone knows the story there, the Bruins didn't put up with anything and sent a message that they were not going to be an easy team to play. The same goes for last year's Montreal game. The Bruins didn't take any crap from the Habs, and ended up winning the game 6-5 while also recording a record amount of penalty minutes total in one game. So far this year, the best opportunity for that was the Vancouver game, in which the Bruins backed down and let the Canucks take it to them. They have one more game in which they can make a statement. And what better team to do it against than the Philadelphia Flyers? There has always been some bad blood between these two teams, and at this point in the season, it could be the only chance the Bruins get to finally show that theyare the same team that won the Stanley Cup last year, and that they are the same team that utterly dominated the league during the entire months of November and December.

Whatever the Bruins are going to do, they need to figure it out, and fast. Ottawa is closing in, and the Bruins could soon find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.

When It Rains It Pours

Ladies and gentlemen, your Boston Bruins!

Remember how excited everyone was to hear that at the beginning of the season? The banner raising, the celebration of the Cup victory, and looking forward to a possible repeat. Then came the 3-7 start, and everyone was calling for Chiarelli to clow up the team. Many of us fans, including myself, had patience (although I did think a trade was necessary), and the team came around, dominating the league and winning 10 games in a row. And when I say dominated, I mean they literally blew everyone out of the water. During that stretch, they averaged 4.7 goals per game and only allowed an average of 1.7 goals per game. That's just utter domination. They continued to play well up until the game in January against Vancouver, and at that point things turned very sour very quickly. Poor effort, sloppy play, and lack of focus has led to the Bruins inconsistency in winning games. Many people thought that the acquisitions of Brian Rolston, Mike Mottau, and Greg Zanon would give guys the boost they need, adding much needed depth as well as creating job competition. There's just one problem with that though. Although Rolston has been in the lineup every day since coming over from the Islanders, he's been a non factor, and Zanon and Mottau have been taking turns playing "Who can suck more than Corvo?". They're not the only players at fault though. Top defenseman and Captain Zdeno Chara has looked gassed for almost a month now, guys like Milan Lucic bring their A game every so often and then disappear for a while, and the man who's supposed to the go to goalie and the one you rely on, Tim Thomas, looks fatigued and just flat out disinterested.

The shameful thing about this is that the Bruins have strayed away from their game, the "bust your ass and use intimidation to your advantage" style, that made them so successful during last year's Cup Run and during their two months of utter domination. They've played sloppy, they've tried to be far too cute with the puck, they come out with very lackluster efforts, and they're making excuses (See: Tim Thomas "the lighting in MSG is pretty bad, I couldn't see the puck").

Last week, they strung together two wins in a row for the first time in over a month, and it seemed that perhaps maybe they were finally turning things around. They traveled to New York for a big matinee match up against the Rangers and came out completely flat. Tim Thomas gave up soft goal after soft goal, and afterwards couldn't take accountability for his poor play. instead, he came up with the excuse that the lighting in Madison Square Garden is fairly poor and therefore he couldn't see the puck. Earth to Timmy! Lundqvist plays there for half of the regular season, and then some extra games in the playoffs. He doesn't seem to have much trouble seeing the puck with the poor lighting. You shouldn't either.

The next day they had another important game, this time in Pittsburgh. Not only did the Bruins come out flat, but they remained flat and made it look like the Penguins were scrimmaging a CHL team. The top line of Krejci - Lucic - Seguin had a good game, but they can't provide all of the offense, and not only that, but they can't play all of the defense. They're not on the ice at all times, and the other 3 lines and all of the defensive pairings need to play up the level they're capable of playing at.

Coaching is starting to become a problem as well. With the injury to Tuukka Rask, the Bruins signed free agent veteran goaltender Marty Turco to a one year deal to backup Thomas. The consensus assumption was that the workload for Thomas would be the same. Instead, Julien sends Thomas out there for eight straight games, including back to back matinees. After the first period, Thomas had to be pulled due to the soft goals he was giving up and his clear disinterest in what was going on. Turco came in in the second period and played very well, making all the saves Thomas wouldn't have, including one save that he very clearly pulled straight out of his ass. He did give up two goals, but those goals were on the defense, not him.

The injury bug has now bitten the Bruins as well, and it has bitten very hard. The Bruins left Pittsburgh with eight injured players: Benoit Pouliot, Daniel Paille, Adam McQuaid, Tuukka Rask, Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley, Patrice Bergeron, and Providence call up Maxime Sauve. When the Bruins are fully healthy, they are a dangerous team with a very good defense and a potent offense when playing at their peak. But, with eight players injured, it's hard to play well when you have a major lack of depth in your minor league system. With Ottawa creeping up on the Bruins in the Northeast Divison, it's a very real possibility that the Bruins fall out of the top 3 and down into the bottom 3, where they will have to fight for their playoff lives, and I personally am not sure they would make the playoffs in that case.

The frustration is mounting in fans, and it's only a matter of time before this team either picks it up and gets back to their normal play or completely implodes and falls out of playoff contention.

Bruins, Turco Agree To Deal

The Bruins have agreed to terms with free agent goalie Marty Turco

With the "lower body injury" to Tuukka Rask, the Bruins were in clear need for goaltending help. They had called up Michael Hutchinson from AHL Providence to warm the bench during the game against the Rangers, but it was clear to all fans that Hutchinson isn't capable of filling in once or twice per week to give Thomas some rest.

So, Peter Chiarelli decided to look outside the organization for help. And by outside, I mean way outside. He and former Dallas goalie Marty Turco agreed to terms on a one year contract that won't become official until he clears waivers. If he clears waivers, that is. Turco had been playing for a European League team out in Austria, and there's a 50/50 chance, according to Chiarelli, that Turco clears waivers. According to Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe, two teams that may place a claim on Turco are Ottawa and Tampa Bay (Tiwtter Link).

Personally I would be surprised by an Ottawa claim. They recently recalled the recently acquired goaltender Ben Bishop from the AHL, and are likely to let him try and prove himself down the stretch before making any sort of move for a goalie. Tampa Bay would also be a bit surprising. They're more or less out of the playoff picture, and although Dwayne Roloson is a mere shadow of the goalie he was last year, making a short term move for yet another aging goalie would be a poor decision by Yzerman,

In any case, assuming Turco clears waivers and joins the Bruins, this is a strong addition by Chiarelli. Turco is aging, but he is still a year and a half younger than Thomas, he has a lot of previous NHL experience, despite his big flop year in Chicago, and he's ten times better than picking up some scrub out of the NCAA and praying he can fill in.

If Turco doesn't clear waivers and is indeed claimed by another team, Plan b for the Bruins is to give Hutchinson a start or two in the next couple of weeks until the organization's number 3 goalie, anton Khudobin, is healthy, at which point Hutchinson would be sent down and Khudobin called up to back up Thomas until Rask can return to the lineup.

Open Letter To Steven Kampfer

Defenseman Steven Kampfer was traded from Boston to Minnesota on Monday

Dear Steven:

On behalf of all of Bruins Nation, I'd like to wish you luck in your future with the Minnesota organization. It's a shame to see you go to be honest. You were an integral part of the defense last season. When you were called up from Providence, you more or less gave the defense a shot in the arm and added an offensive boost with your speed and ability to jump into the play, as well as your presence on the powerplay. It's too bad you injured your knee in Providence early in the year, otherwise you may have earned yourself a full time spot on the blue line once again. You didn't complain though, and being the 7th defenseman didn't seem to bother you, and for that we thank you. Many of us Bruins fans were excited at your potential and enjoyed thinking that you may have been a major part of the defensive corps in the coming years. This is a business, as I'm sure you understand, and sometimes you have to give up something valuable to acquire a piece you need for a playoff run, as is the case with your trade. Despite this, we're all saddened to see you leave Boston, and we wish you all the best for a long and successful NHL career. We hope you come back to us here in Boston one day to once again wear the black and gold and be the piece of the defense we all know you can be. Minnesota is a great hockey city, and you'll enjoy your time there, however long it may be. Just do us fans a favor, though. When you play us, try to let the B's score a goal or two, just for kicks. In all seriousness though, we hope you enjoy Minnesota and their passionate fanbase. We hope to see you again one day, once again representing the Boston Bruins organization.

Sincerely,
Boston Bruins Nation

Bruins Acquire 3 At Deadline

Welcome back, old friend.

Yesterday, as you all know, was the NHL trade deadline. In 2 separate moves, the Bruins acquired forward Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau from the Islanders for two prospects, Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin, playing for the Bruins ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, and defenseman Greg Zanon from the Wild in exchange for second year defenseman Steven Kampfer.

Most of us remember Rolston from his playing days with the Bruins. Rolston was part of the package that Colorado sent to Boston in exchange for Bruins legend Ray Bourque. Rolston played for the Bruins from 1999 up until the 2004-2005 lockout, after which the Bruins did not resign him and he signed with the Minnesota Wild. Rolston was a key member of the Bruins of the early 21st century. Although many of those teams were not very good, Rolston's versatility and leadership skills made him a top notch player during his tenure with the Bruins.

Mike Mottau is a native of Quincy and grew up rooting for the Bruins. Mottau is a veteran defenseman with a left handed shot, and, just like Rolston, brings leadership qualities to the locker room. His leadership could prove to be useful, especially with the Bruins gearing up for a playoff run, where they will likely call up multiple minor league defensemen as "Black Aces". He will likely be a healthy scratch during the playoffs, barring injury, but can still prove to be a good presence for the young players working their way through the system, especially the likes of top prospect Dougie Hamilton.

Greg Zanon is another left handed shooting defenseman and has proven over his career to be a solid shutdown player on the back end. He is now third on the Bruins in blocked shots with 101 on the season and will likely prove to be a key addition to the defense corps. This acquisition will also allow Claude Julien to pair Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg together during the playoffs, a pairing that dominated opposing forwards during last year's Stanley Cup run.

These moves are very underrated ones. Adding depth on the forward front and defense front in Rolston and Mottau, as well as adding another shutdown defenseman in Zanon was something the Bruins were looking to do, and it appears that they have accomplished exactly that. GM Peter Chiarelli did admit that he would have liked to have acquired another forward, but the deals just weren't there. After Monday, the Bruins look ready to make another deep playoff run as they begin their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

All Is Quiet On The Trade Front...So Far

As of right now, there's been no real activity on the trade ront, not just for the Brins, but throughout the league. The Canadiens sent Andre Kostitsyn packing to join his borther Sergei in Nashville, but other than that and a few waiver claims, very little has come out in the way of rumors, nevermind deals being closed.

Many players that were speculated as Bruins targets have since been pulled from the market, such as Tuomo Ruutu, who signed a contract extension with Carolina last week, and Ryan Smyth, who has been told he isn't going anywhere and is currently negotiating an extension with the Oilers. Forward Alex Hemsky also inked a new two year deal with Edmonton, which effectively pulled him off the market.

Other speculated targets, such as Jaroslav Spacek, are likely to be dealt today. Spacek was pulled from practice this morning and is likely to be traded. His likely destination has not been speculated upon, but his name was not mentioned by team officials or media members at Bruins practice this morning.

GM Peter Chiarelli has stated his intentions to keep the main roster intact, but with injuries to Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley, and most recently Johnny Boychuk, Chiarelli may be forced to part with a roster player in order to make any sort of significant move.

It's been rumored that Bruins are one of the teams in on Winnipeg defenseman Johnny Oduya, and have also been talking to Colorado about forward David Jones. While these are just rumors, they're ones that do have the chance to pick up steam as the deadline looms closer and closer.

While today has been slow thus far, TSN's Bob McKenzie believes it is likely to pick up an d that more trades will come as the dominos begin to fall, so to speak. He believes a likely candidate to be traded is Buffalo forward Derek Roy. There's always a chance he lands in boston if traded, but there haven't been any rumors as of yet as to where he may land, if he is even dealt.

Trade updates will come as they roll out, so be sure to follow me on Twitter for Bruins and NHL updates.

UPDATE:

Detroit has traded defenseman Mike Commodore to Tampa Bay for a Conditional 7th Round Pick.

Ottawa acquires Matt Gilroy for Tampa Bay's Brian Lee.

Vancouver acquires forward Sami Pahlsson for an unnamed player and two 4th Round Draft Picks.

Chicago acquires defenseman Johnny Oduya for 2013 2nd Round Pick and 2013 3rd Round Pick

San Jose acquires forwards Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galliardi from Colorado

Colorado is reportedly done trading. David Jones will not be dealt to Boston if the report is accurate.

Bruins have acquired forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau for Marc Cantin and Yannick Riendeau.

Rick Nash has not been traded. This has been confirmed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bruins have acquired defenseman Greg Zanon from Minnesota for defenseman Steven Kampfer.

Predators have acquired forward Paul Gaustad and a 4th Round Pick from Buffalo in exchange for a 1st Round Pick

Rangers have acquired defenseman John Scott from Chicago for a 5th Round Pick.

The Time Has Come To Wheel And Deal

As of today, the Bruins are limping their way through the rest of the regular season. Subpar performances and devastating injuries are taking a toll on the once dominant team. Even worse is that those who are expected to be top performers, such as Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, and David Krejci, are struggling to find their games. The trade deadline is in five days, and GM Peter Chiarelli has been sitting on his hands for the most part. The team is one of the three on Columbus superstar Rick Nash's list of teams he would accept a trade to, with the Rangers and Flyers being the other two. The Bruins have had some preliminary talks with Columbus GM Scott Howson about Nash, but it appears the starting point for any deal for the franchise cornerstone would have to start with goalie Tuukka Rask, an asset the Bruins do not want to part with any time soon. Sources say the Bruins have also had some discussions about Columbus forward Jeff Carter, some dating back to the days of Phil Kessel, when a Kessel for Carter swap was discussed. But, the Bruins may not have to shoot for the stars if they want to hit a homerun. There are plenty of options on the trade market, and although the prices may be somewhat inflated, it may be worth it to sacrifice a small part of the future to help in the present.

There are a few players that could be beneficial additions to this Bruins squad, including rugged forward Tuomo Ruutu out of Carolina, whom GM Peter Chiarelli has received multiple reccomendations on from former Carolina players currently playing here in Boston. The Finn could be a great fit playing wing alongside power forward Milan Lucic and struggling center David Krejci, who may be able to find his stride if given the right assets. With Nathan Horton out for presumably the rest of the season, adding a top 6 forward appears to be a necessity for the B's, who continue to struggle with putting the puck in the net. Other targets on the forward front could be Edmonton winger Ales Hemsky, although a trade for Hemsky could prove to be costly, as he has a history of injury issues. When healthy, Hemsky is one of the most underrated socrers in the league. He has a nose for the net and has put up many high scoring seasons. But, again, his health is a major factor in any trade. Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, and Ryan Smyth are also options the Bruins could pursue, but with Phoenix making the lives of every NHL GM interested in their players a living hell and Ryan Smyth stating his intentions to remain in Edmonton, those could prove to be unattainable assets for the B's.

On the defense front, Joe Corvo has turned into the second coming of Tomas Kaberle. Corvo's play has dropped significantly from where it once was this season, and with the recent extension of Johnny Boychuk, it appears he is heading out the door at season's end. While it may not be possible to deal Corvo anywhere, picking up another defenseman who can give Corvo some real competition as well as improve both the defense's offensive capabilities and their defensive play. Carolina defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, acquired in a deal with Montreal earlier this season, could be a good pickup. The Bruins have long had interest in the 37 year old defenseman, dating back to his free agent status in 2009, where the Bruins showed strong interest in Spacek, but were ultimately trumped by the Canadiens. Spacek is known for his comic touch in the locker room, and he could provide some good two way play, as well as job competition. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Bruins wouldn't be tied down to his $2.5M cap hit. Other targets could include Carolina's Joni Pitkanen, who could bring some much needed life to this powerplay, and possibly Edmonton blueliner Ryan Whitney, a Boston native who could add a bit of offensive spark as well as some leadership intangibles in the locker room.

One wild card around the league is the Anaheim Ducks. The team hasn't responded to the hiring of former Washington bench boss Bruce Boudreau, and most of the league seems to be keeping an eye on whether GM Bob Murray decides to deal star players Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. Murray has openly stated that everyone is available, with the exception of veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, and any one of the three aforementioned players could draw major interest on Causeway Street. The price would likely be steep though, probably requiring at least one core roster player, such as Milan Lucic or David Krejci, and a top flight prospect such as 2011 draftee Doug Hamilton, which is a price Chiarelli probably will not want to pay.

All of these are legitimate possibilities, so keep your eye on the market Bruins fans. We may be in for a surprising deadline.

Bruins Offer 4 Forwards Extensions

After signing defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a three year extension the other day, the Bruins have now offered contract extensions to four impensing UFA's: Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, Shawn Thornton, and Daniel Paille. The report never made it into the TSN Insider Trading Post by Bob McKenzie, but it was tweeted shortly afterwards by McKenize himself.

This is good news. After locking up Krejci, Peverley, and Boychuk, many fans were beginning to wonder if they would extend their other UFA's, most importantly center Chris Kelly, who has become an integral part of the team's identity as a gritty, hard working team. Kelly had previously stated publicly that he wants to stay in Boston, and this contract offer shows that the Bruins want to keep him in Boston.

What this also shows is that the Bruins have completely changed their organizational philosophy from the pre-lockout one. They like to lock up their guys beforehand, and the guys that don't accept extension offers end up walking. This shows that the team wants to know ahead of free agency what holes they'll need to fill over the summer and how much money they'll have to work with. It's a smart thing to do. Not many GM's can sit through an entire season and wait until the last minute to try and re-sign the players they want to keep, mostly because they'll end up overpaying and possibly filling holes that don't even need to be filled to begin with.

Details of the offers have not been released and are not known, and they most likely will not be known until the players accept or deny their respective offers.

Bruins Extend Boychuk

Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk releases one of his monster slapshots from the blueline. The defender was signed to three year contract extension today.

So I'm guessing most of you are going to come here expecting some sort of post talking about how this is a great deal for the Bruins and that Boychuk is a top notch defender. Wrong. That is not at all what I'm going to say about this deal. Today, the Bruins signed Johnny Boychuk to a 3 year, $10.008M extension that will carry a cap hit of $3.36M. The deal was first reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN (Twitter link).

Now to what I think of the deal. I know a lot of people in the media believe this is a good deal for the Bruins, and also think that Boychuk is a great defenseman who can play against anyone's top lines and log tons of minutes. I disagree. Boychuk made the team in 2010 as the spare part basically. But we all know the story of that trainwreck season, there was injury after injury, constant inconsistent play, borderline NHL'ers getting significant ice time because there were so many players hurt, no significant trade to help the team in the immediate future (save for the Seidenberg steal), and to top it all off, the biggest choke job in the history of the NHL. Boychuk came up that year and won the hearts of many Bruins fans (and a few pink hats). His monster shot, gigantuan hits, and his solid defense made him appaear to be a diamond in the rough that Chiarelli found in a crap for crap trade with Colorado. But after 2010, his play dropped significantly. His offensive numbers dropped and his defense became horrendous. His hits were still there, but they weren't as timely as they were in 2010.

Many people praise Boychuk for his play against opposing teams' top lines and top scoring threats, as well as for his ability to log big minutes every night. Well no frigging duh, anyone who's paired with Zdeno Chara every night is going to look good. I can't count how many times I've seen Thomas and Rask save his ass on big 2 on 1 situations or even flat out breakaways because Boychuk was out of position or stepped up to make a hit at the worst possible time. He can still shoot, that's pretty clear, but his offensive numbers are not what you'd expect out of a guy who started his NHL career as a winger. This season he has 10 points. That's kind of horrendous considering what was expected of him offensively.

Personally, I wouldn't have signed Boychuk period. I would've waited out the season, make some calls at the deadline and see what you could get for him or Corvo, then, assuming there was no offer that made sense for the team, let Boychuk and Corvo play out the season and re-sign who played better. And if they both played, horrendous, let them both walk, slot Kampfer into one spot, and either make a trade, sign a D, or give Hamilton a shot and see what he can do in the 6 slot. Boychuk shouldn't have gotten the money he did. Chiarelli payed him like he was on the open market, and he isn't even good enough to make that kind of money on the open market. I would've offered maybe 1 or 2 years at $2.5M at the most, and if he asked for more, I would've shut down negotiations and let him earn his money.

I really hope Chiarelli knows what he's doing, because this was a crap deal in my view.

Bruins Trade Rumors

With three weeks left until the NHL Trading Deadline, the Bruins are limping along. They're practically Jekyll and Hyde. One game they'll look good/great and the next they'll look like the team that spent a month in the league basement. It's widely known that the Bruins are interested in adding depth, but it's possible they may look for something a little bigger. Depth on forward could prove to be crucial, as Zach Hamill has shown to be just mediocre in his stint with the Bruins (he was just placed on waivers about 2 minutes before I typed this), and Jordan Caron has spent most of this season up and down between Boston and Providence. Defensive depth may not be the route the team takes either. With Joe Corvo and Johnny Boychuk both struggling to find their stride this late in the season, it could be time to move one of them and bring in a new body that can help on the powerplay, a job which Corvo was supposed to do, or help out defensively, something Boychuk has done a considerably poor job at the past two seasons. There are many options out there on the market for both forward and defense, and some prices are high. Also, the health of winger Nathan Horton will be a key factor in what moves they make. Here are some of the team's reported targets.

• Tuomo Ruutu - Ruutu's price tag is reportedly fairly high, but it wouldn't be so high that the Bruins wouldn't even consider. They've reportedly inquired on Ruutu, but they aren't the only team interested. The scoring forward is drawing a lot of interest around the league and could go anywhere, but he could very well just stay in Carolina.
• Drew Stafford - One name that I haven't heard come up much. Stafford has been a Bruins killer for most of his career, and even if the Bruins don't trade for him, they'd be able to breathe a little easier if he was traded out of the Eastern Conference. The high scoring forward has enjoyed success with the Sabres, and the Bruins could use a player like hm.
• Ryan Smyth - Another interesting name. Smyth is aging, but he still has scoring touch. Again, the Bruins could use another body up front to put the puck in the net, but the issue with Smyth is he has a No Trade Clause, and it's unknown whether or not he would consider waiving it to go to Boston if an offer was made.
• Ray Whitney - This would be a great addition. Whitney's getting up there in age, but he's still a talented scorer and could be the veteran presence that fills the void left by Mark Recchi. Phoenix has yet to determine whether they're buying or selling yet though, so talks between the Coyotes and any team for any player would be at a standstill.
• Vinny Prospal - The Blue Jackets are, unsurprisingly, in the league basement once again. They're obviously selling, and their top priority is center Jeff Carter, who really just wants the get the hell out of Columbus (can you blame him?). Another player they're shopping is Vinny Prospal. Prospal could be another addition to be a veteran presence, and he could be had cheap, likely for a prospect such as Jordan Caron (please no) or just a second round pick. He could add a little extra scoring touch to the lineup as well.
• Hal Gill - God no. Please, just no. The guy isn't good. He's big, yes, but he's not talented and he's extremely slow and easy to beat on the rush. Not the guy you'd want on your blueline.
• Jaroslav Spacek - The man traded for Tomas Kaberle. Spacek has been solid for Carolina since the trade, and he could be a useful powerplay weapon.
• Steve Staios - He could be a solid guy to replace Boychuk. He doesn't score many points, but he's a solid stay at home defenseman, and with the way the Bruins have been playing as of late, they could use a guy like that.

Also, Claude Julien spoke about Nathan Horton the other day. "When you see him in full practice with us, that's going to be the next sign. Until then, that's all I can tell you. You take steps and he's got to stay symptom-free. You go from the bike, to the ice, to contact. You've got to make sure the next day, or the next few days, that there's no setbacks."